Rigoletto - Schedule, Program & Tickets
Rigoletto
Musical direction
Pier Giorgio Morandi
Staging
Pierre Audi
Stage and costumes
Christopher Hetzer
Light
Bernd Purkrabek
Dramaturgy
Bettina Auer
Duke of Mantua
Benjamin Bernheim
Rigoletto
Simon Keenlyside
Gilda
Erin Morley
Sparafucile
Evgeny Solodovnikov
Maddalena
Monica Bohinec
1st act
At a party, the Duke of Mantua says that he has been stalking a young woman he doesn't know for weeks. He finds loyalty ridiculous, for him all women are attractive. Goaded on by his court jester Rigoletto, he has his sights set on Countess Ceprano. Marullo tells the other courtiers about his latest discovery: the ugly Rigoletto seems to have a lover. Since Rigoletto is hated at court but unassailable, the courtiers - led by Count Ceprano - want to take revenge on him and plan to kidnap his supposed lover. When Rigoletto taunts Count Monterone, who accuses the Duke of dishonoring his daughter, Monterone curses the despot and his cynical functionary.
On the way home Rigoletto meets the assassin Sparafucile. When he unexpectedly offers his services, Rigoletto shows interest. In Sparafucile he recognizes his own reflection, they are both outsiders. Troubled by Monterone's curse, Rigoletto blames society and his dubious profession for his own evil.
With his daughter Gilda, whom he keeps hidden away from the world, Rigoletto wants to find all the happiness that life denies him. He evades all of her questions about his and her identity. For fear of losing her, Rigoletto forbids his daughter to have any contact with the outside world, apart from going to church. Nevertheless, a young man is secretly courting her. It is the Duke posing as a penniless student. When Rigoletto leaves the house, the Duke assails Gilda with declarations of love that seem to make her childhood dreams come true. Noise in the street forces the duke to leave: the courtiers come to kidnap Rigoletto's "lover". Rigoletto, blinded by a mask, even supports her - believing that the Countess Ceprano is being kidnapped. Rigoletto recognizes the truth too late.
2nd act
The duke finds Rigoletto's house deserted. He laments for the lost lover, for whom he thinks he feels deep affection for the first time. At court he learns that Gilda has been kidnapped by his courtiers and rushes to her. Rigoletto desperately searches for his daughter, but the courtiers let him go nowhere, even when he reveals to them that they have not kidnapped his beloved, but his daughter. When the Duke sends Gilda away, she tries to confide in her father. But Rigoletto only thinks of bloody revenge.
3rd act
In order to finally "cure" Gilda of her love for the Duke, Rigoletto leads her to Sparafucile's house and forces her to watch the Duke having fun with the prostitute Maddalena (Sparafucile's sister). Rigoletto sends his daughter away to prepare their escape and hires Sparafucile to kill the duke. But Gilda returns secretly and witnesses how Maddalena persuades her brother to kill the first person who comes by before midnight instead of the duke. Gilda decides to sacrifice herself for her love. She knocks on the door.
A little later, Sparafucile hands Rigoletto the body in a sack. At the moment of his greatest triumph - Rigoletto feels like an all-powerful avenger - he hears the duke's voice. Horrified, he opens the sack and sees his dying daughter. Without understanding the course of events, Rigoletto blames Monterone's curse for the tragedy.
Subject to change.
Pier Giorgio Morandi
Staging
Pierre Audi
Stage and costumes
Christopher Hetzer
Light
Bernd Purkrabek
Dramaturgy
Bettina Auer
Duke of Mantua
Benjamin Bernheim
Rigoletto
Simon Keenlyside
Gilda
Erin Morley
Sparafucile
Evgeny Solodovnikov
Maddalena
Monica Bohinec
1st act
At a party, the Duke of Mantua says that he has been stalking a young woman he doesn't know for weeks. He finds loyalty ridiculous, for him all women are attractive. Goaded on by his court jester Rigoletto, he has his sights set on Countess Ceprano. Marullo tells the other courtiers about his latest discovery: the ugly Rigoletto seems to have a lover. Since Rigoletto is hated at court but unassailable, the courtiers - led by Count Ceprano - want to take revenge on him and plan to kidnap his supposed lover. When Rigoletto taunts Count Monterone, who accuses the Duke of dishonoring his daughter, Monterone curses the despot and his cynical functionary.
On the way home Rigoletto meets the assassin Sparafucile. When he unexpectedly offers his services, Rigoletto shows interest. In Sparafucile he recognizes his own reflection, they are both outsiders. Troubled by Monterone's curse, Rigoletto blames society and his dubious profession for his own evil.
With his daughter Gilda, whom he keeps hidden away from the world, Rigoletto wants to find all the happiness that life denies him. He evades all of her questions about his and her identity. For fear of losing her, Rigoletto forbids his daughter to have any contact with the outside world, apart from going to church. Nevertheless, a young man is secretly courting her. It is the Duke posing as a penniless student. When Rigoletto leaves the house, the Duke assails Gilda with declarations of love that seem to make her childhood dreams come true. Noise in the street forces the duke to leave: the courtiers come to kidnap Rigoletto's "lover". Rigoletto, blinded by a mask, even supports her - believing that the Countess Ceprano is being kidnapped. Rigoletto recognizes the truth too late.
2nd act
The duke finds Rigoletto's house deserted. He laments for the lost lover, for whom he thinks he feels deep affection for the first time. At court he learns that Gilda has been kidnapped by his courtiers and rushes to her. Rigoletto desperately searches for his daughter, but the courtiers let him go nowhere, even when he reveals to them that they have not kidnapped his beloved, but his daughter. When the Duke sends Gilda away, she tries to confide in her father. But Rigoletto only thinks of bloody revenge.
3rd act
In order to finally "cure" Gilda of her love for the Duke, Rigoletto leads her to Sparafucile's house and forces her to watch the Duke having fun with the prostitute Maddalena (Sparafucile's sister). Rigoletto sends his daughter away to prepare their escape and hires Sparafucile to kill the duke. But Gilda returns secretly and witnesses how Maddalena persuades her brother to kill the first person who comes by before midnight instead of the duke. Gilda decides to sacrifice herself for her love. She knocks on the door.
A little later, Sparafucile hands Rigoletto the body in a sack. At the moment of his greatest triumph - Rigoletto feels like an all-powerful avenger - he hears the duke's voice. Horrified, he opens the sack and sees his dying daughter. Without understanding the course of events, Rigoletto blames Monterone's curse for the tragedy.
Subject to change.
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